在托福阅读中，经常会遇到指代类问题。这类问题跟考察词汇意思的问题相似。通常形式为：The word X in the passage refers to，X为代词，在文中用阴影标出。题目中的四个选项多出自原文，但只有一个词是X所指带的词。查看托福一周备考突击汇总>>>点击查看

　　我们先来看一个例子：

　　The astrological nature of the Mayan use of astronomical data explains in part why so few written records exist of that data. The Mayans believed that the passage of the sun continued throughout the night, only, then, it was traveling through the underworld. This was believed to be a perilous journey, with many demonic figures lurking in the darkness, waiting to ambush the sun to prevent it from returning to the sky at dawn. .

　　Question: The word it in the passage refers to

　　A. night

　　B. sun

　　C. passage

　　D. data

　　正确答案为B。从上一句可以看出，这句话描述的是太阳的运动轨迹，其它选项都不正确。

　　Strategies to answer this question：

　　1. 读问题，确定指代词类型;

　　2. 将指代词定位到原文中，阅读上下文，确定答案。通常答案会在指代词前面出现;

　　3. 将答案放到原文中，检查上下文是否通顺合理。

　　这类问题其实并不是很难，大家只要仔细认真，就可以得分。

　　结合上面讲到的方法，大家来做几个练习吧。

　　Practice:

　　1. Of course, the verification of the painting required entire teams of people, in addition to the three mentioned above, and took years. By 1993, the announcement was finally made that the long-lost Caravaggio had been found. Rather than sell the painting, which is most likely worth millions of dollars, the Jesuits decided to make it available to the nation of Ireland for viewing. Thus, the painting is on “indefinite loan” to the National Gallery of Ireland. Nevertheless, the painting continues its travels as it features in exhibitions around the world, from the United States to Amsterdam. In 2010, it even travelled back to Rome to be displayed for the 400th anniversary of the painter’s death. A fitting tribute, many would say, to a mysterious master.

　　The phrase “a mysterious master” refers to

　　(A) the Jesuits

　　(B) Rome

　　(C) The National Gallery of Ireland

　　(D) Caravaggio

　　2. Although people commonly associate the word clone with modern scientific advancements, its usage in botany (the study of plants) is far removed from those developments; a clone is, in the world of plants, a completely natural thing, even a common one. Generally speaking, a clone is an individual which is genetically identical to its progenitor, the parent from which the clone was produced. In this type of procreation, only one progenitor is necessary. There are, of course, relatively few animals which reproduce in this way. While certain types of fish, reptiles, and insects (among others) do reproduce asexually, most creatures from the animal kingdom are born from two parent individuals with two discrete sets of genes. In comparison, plants frequently reproduce asexually, creating genetically identical offspring, or clones. The term for this type of procreation is vegetative reproduction, which includes a number of different processes by which various plants multiply.

　　The phrase “this type of procreation” refers to

　　(A) becoming genetically identical

　　(B) reproduction by cloning

　　(C) birth to a pair of parents

　　(D) producing individual sets of genes

　　3. While such interviews can be highly entertaining, they are not necessarily an accurate indication of public opinion. First, they reflect the opinions of only those people who appear at a certain location.

　　The word “they” refers to

　　(A)North Americans

　　(B)news shows

　　(C)interviews

　　(D)opinions

　　4. The fins are stiff, smooth, and narrow, qualities that also help cut drag. When not in use, the fins are tucked into special grooves or depressions so that they lie flush with the body and do not break up its smooth contours.

　　The word “they” in the passage refers to

　　A. qualities

　　B. fins

　　C. grooves

　　D. depressions

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